Wellness is in - digital detoxes, spirituality concierges and vegan restaurants are trending in the hospitality and travel industries because of a growing segment of travelers either seeking to maintain a healthy lifestyle on the road or looking to improve their wellness through retreats and education. Some resorts have gone above merely draping their brand in wellness terminology and instead have integrated these health-conscious components into their design and programming. Evolving with the wellness movement means adapting to the rising demand for physical fitness centers, beauty treatments, weight management regimes, relaxation and stress relief, and health-related education while traveling. READ MORE

The spa industry delivers a menu of services ranging from natural and organic products to procedures that promise immediate results but may be inherently unhealthy. Does it matter? The answer depends upon a spa's positioning. Over the past decade, "wellness" has become the buzzword in many spas and appealing to many spa-goers. Prognosticators have dubbed wellness the next trillion-dollar industry. But not every product and process on the wellness bandwagon is healthy. This article examines the meaning of the word and provides a guideline to help the operator determine what services align with one's brand, guest expectations, and financial projections. READ MORE

Hank Freid, the CEO/Founder of Impulsive Group, and his son Brandon Freid have amassed an extensive real estate portfolio, which includes a number of luxury hotel properties throughout Manhattan, including the Ameritania Hotel at 54th and Broadway, the Moroccan-themed Marrakech Hotel and their flagship 4 ½ star European-inspired luxury boutique property, The Sanctuary Hotel, located in the heart of Times Square. The Sanctuary Hotel was named International Hotel of the Year at the 2011 European Hospitality Awards and has been given TripAdvisor's Certificate of Excellence in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Its popular rooftop lounge Haven has been a hotspot for some of the city's most press-worthy events, their new restaurant Tender is garnering rave reviews and they continue to expand with projects including this summer's new outdoor Haven Beer Garden and the soon to open speakeasy Foxhole. In addition to their hospitality holdings on land, the father and son team also have several charter luxury yachts, which operate in Miami, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. READ MORE

Aloha! Kia Ora! Hey y'all! Bien Venidos! Bienvenue! Saa wee da ka or Saa wee da krap! Welcome! What happens when these words of greeting from different cultures are uttered? What do we associate with those greetings and the people in those states or countries who say them? How do they impact us emotionally and do they change the way we perceive and receive our experience in that place? READ MORE

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts is a good example of a company that aims its marketing efforts toward its employees. The company sees internal marketing as critical in achieving guest satisfaction, and consequently Fairmont is world-renowned for its excellent guest service. This article will focus on Fairmont's internal marketing programs, such as the employee reward and recognition program, programs that result in an employee turnover rate that is much lower than industry averages. Staff loyalty in turn encourages customer loyalty; repeat guests make up approximately 60% of Fairmont's business. READ MORE

Southern California is high on the travel and tourism industry's radar for the variety of nearby amusement parks, year-round ideal climate, pristine beaches, as well as being a wellness-focused spa mecca. The area attracts millions of leisure travelers each year to experience the luxury and boutique shopping and the award-winning dining options in its relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Business travelers also prominently flock to San Diego throughout the year from all over the world due to the variety of conference venues, predictable climate and abundance of hotel accommodation options. READ MORE

Creating an unforgettable guest experience involves much more than simply good interior design or a striking logo, particularly in today's competitive and product-flooded hotel industry. Guest columnist David Ashen, principal and founder of dash design, shares the "why and how" behind weaving brand and culture together successfully. Doing so not only helps a hotel brand differentiate and compete, it also creates a meaningful stay for hotel guests that extends way beyond check-out. READ MORE

Do your established procedures for processing credit card information and payments match up with the best practices outlined by credit card brands? Find out by reading about the six most important best practices for hotel credit card processing. Adhering to these practices can reduce your risk, save money, and minimize the headaches of lost disputes. READ MORE

In the past decade, the United States has experienced a major cultural and economic shift as downtowns become the hub of a city's economic activity and culture once again. This trend is having major implications for how people work, eat, and play, and most importantly for our industry: how they travel. As more travelers seek the uniqueness of a city by visiting their urban core, restaurants, attractions, parks, and hotels are benefiting from this return to a destination's roots. READ MORE

As a Detroit-based designer, I have always had a strong appreciation for historic buildings and the way they are able to narrate the past through architecture. Adaptive reuse projects, which literally reuse an old site or building for a contemporary purpose other than what it was originally built or designed for, have led to the resurrection of some of my city's most iconic landmarks. My firm has had a hand in many of those projects, and my experience working on them has only enhanced my affection for and understanding of the power and potential of adaptive reuse. READ MORE

The ongoing recovery from the “Great Recession” has not produced the flood of hotel property sales and associated major renovation projects in the United States that some in the hotel industry had anticipated based on past experiences. However, rebranding activity has remained fairly constant: just as renovating guest rooms is part of an ongoing cycle, so is rebranding. But as owners know, rebranding poses greater challenges than guest room renovations, and there is far more at stake in assuring the best possible outcome. READ MORE

Employers in hospitality have the difficult task of balancing public perception and guest expectations with their many legal obligations. Developments in technology often complicate those responsibilities. Online bookings have created new ADA obligations. Social networking has blurred the lines between an employee's workplace conduct and private conduct. Now, the e-cigarette has become a focal point of the public discussion raising important questions for hospitality employers. READ MORE

The physical assets of your property, as well as your “people” assets have untapped value that when managed correctly, can yield exceptional returns. This blog explores tips for maximizing that value in a way that adds to your bottom line, as well as contributing to guest satisfaction scores and retention. READ MORE

As a design firm, 5G is sought by our clients to evoke ideas that surprise and inspire the public with innovation, energy and quality - opening eyes to things not seen before. Our roots are well positioned in history to achieve these goals every day for clients. Our studio sits in a 110-year-old exposed brick building with original wood floors, century old windows with views to the city on the East, and skies on the West. There is something truly refreshing about the space. As we design and create new spaces, the nostalgia and history of our corporate headquarters are, in a sense, always anew. READ MORE

In the light of owner's expectations of revenues and profits growing at a continuous rate, businesses must buckle down to a conscious strategy to manage their pricing even while pulling the requisite volumes. The price-volume partnership must be nurtured well. At the same time, the relationship of pricing to value in the eyes of the customer must not be lost sight of. This effectively makes pricing the catalyst that while addressing customer expectations of value also delivers the requisite dose of revenue boosts. The icing on this cake is of course the resultant enhancement of the bottom line - a perennial owner favorite. READ MORE